LOS ANGELES: American TV personality Kim Kardashian faced a sharp backlash on social media, losing approximately 150,000 Instagram followers after sharing a photo of First Lady Melania Trump on her Instagram story.
The post, which featured Melania Trump’s outfit during her husband Donald Trump’s presidential inauguration on January 20, was perceived by many as a political statement and drew widespread criticism.
According to Socially Powerful, an influencer marketing agency, Kardashian saw a steep decline in followers, with 144,963 users unfollowing her Instagram account shortly after the post.
The reality TV star, who has built a billion-dollar empire largely through social media, boasts an impressive 358 million followers on the platform.
James Hacking, founder of Socially Powerful, commented on the fallout in a press release. “This Trump administration is undoubtedly a divisive one, with many celebrities in Hollywood distancing themselves from showing support for the new President. However, it is interesting that Kim Kardashian, the original influencer, chose to make this move by posting a picture of the new First Lady, Melania Trump,” he said.
Hacking added that the reaction underlined the risks celebrities face when associating with political figures.
“It is fascinating to see how a single image can result in such a monumental drop in followers. Whether or not Kim or any of the Kardashians post about the Trump family or the administration again remains to be seen, but it may come at the risk of losing many more of their followers,” he said.
The backlash was not limited to Instagram. Kardashian also lost 9,553 followers on X, the platform previously known as Twitter, where she currently has 75.1 million followers.
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The viral post, which featured Melania Trump in a navy suit by Adam Lippes and a coordinating hat by Eric Javits, sparked criticism from fans who interpreted it as an endorsement of Donald Trump.
Many labelled the move as “far-right MAGA propaganda,” with some threatening to boycott Kardashian’s business ventures, including her popular shapewear brand SKIMS.
One follower commented, “Kim, you will never get another cent of my money. You and SKIMS can kick rocks”.
The New York Post reported that the number of unfollows on Instagram has climbed to a staggering 219,000 as more fans reacted to the controversial post. Kardashian, who did not publicly endorse any candidate during the presidential election, has yet to address the backlash.